"If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?" When Jeremiah began to prophesy about the apostasy of Judah and its future captivity in his hometown of Anathoth, he received death threats from his own countrymen. Then Jeremiah complained to God about this persecution and this verse is the beginning of God's response to Jeremiah. God asks Jeremiah, if he is so distressed by the men of Anathoth ("men on foot"), how does he expect to deliver God's message to the king, the court, and the priests at Jerusalem ("horses," understood as "men on horses")? God is essentially telling Jeremiah (pardon the baseball metaphor), if you can't compete in the minors, how do you expect to make it in the big leagues? In our walk with God we often act like minor league players. Some problems or troubles come our way and we complain to God about our difficulty, make excuses for ourselves, and lose focus on the main assignment that God has given us. God wants to call you up to the big leagues. God has some important matters--matters of life and death--for you to handle for Him. If you let the routine problems of life stifle you, then how can you expect to accomplish the plans and purposes God has established for you?
